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18/02: Realizations about Israel - Part 2

In continuation of my previous post regarding Realizations about Israel, I found something today that further points to positive changes taking place in Europe regarding Israel. People in Europe seem to be awakening to the fact that they don't need to oblige irrational demands from people of Jewish faith out of a feeling of pity and guilt over what Hitler did during the Holocaust.

What I found today is news from France saying enough is enough regarding the sense of guilt ailing Europe over the Holocaust. Times Online reports:

Some excerpts from the article are given below in italics with my commentary added in between in plain text.

The French State was responsible for deporting Jews during the Second World War, the top judicial authority ruled for the first time yesterday, but it dismayed families of victims by declaring that they had already been compensated.

It was advising on a case brought by Madeleine Hoffman-Glemane, 75, one of hundreds of victims who have sued recently for damages over their arrests and deportation during the Nazi occupation from 1940 to 1944.

Even though the admission comes forth because President Sarkozy's ties to people of Jewish faith, I find this encouraging in the sense that the French have stopped pussy-footing around the issue.

The Holocaust happened over 65 years ago and compensation is being asked now? What for? A majority of the people who tragically suffered and the ones who inflicted the suffering are dead by now. On a human level, one can sympathize with the victims who faced the horrors but to try to milk it for all its worth saps away any sympathy one feels for the sufferers of the Holocaust. In fact, asking for compensation here undermines the suffering of the people who suffered through the actual events. While there are lessons to be learned from history, what is the fault of the present generation which is one or two generations removed from those who indirectly caused the suffering?

Since taking office in 2007 President Sarkozy, whose mother is Jewish, has ordered acts of remembrance of the French role in the Holocaust but during his election campaign he said that France should stop apologising for itself because it had never been involved in a policy of genocide.

To the anger of campaigners the council advised the court dealing with Ms Hoffman-Glemane's case that deportees had already received enough compensation. “The different measures taken since the end of the Second World War have made reparation as much as possible,” it said.

While Obama promised change, not many changes have been forthcoming on policies relating to war in Afghanistan. However, true positive change can be seen from the French in the underlined portion of the excerpts. Obama should take heart from this and bid farewell to his 'appease AIPAC' policies and make the US a truly neutral party in the Middle East conflict by not supporting either party in the interests of fairness. I can guarantee that this would tremendously boost American reputation in many regions of the world where America can ill afford a further loss of its image. America needs to stand true to its values; to be indiscriminate and to freely allow all parties a chance at expressing their arguments on an unbiased platform. But I digress... Coming back to the topic at hand...

For more than a decade Holocaust survivors and their families have been waging legal battles in French and US courts. In 2007, however, an appeal court reversed a Bordeaux court conviction against the railways for holding and robbing two Jews. The court ruled that the SNCF was not an arm of the State.

The 'legal battles' as mentioned in the excerpt, represent a systematic abuse of the legal systems in France and the US to gain monetary compensation and sympathy through guilt, which as the news article notes, has been going on for decades. If I were a citizen of France amongst the working class, I would question the state on why my tax money is being spent to compensate someone's suffering in which I had no direct involvement.

Moving on to comments given on the article, I see this positive trend repeated again and again. Jonathan L. from Tel Aviv, Israel notes:

[...]

The French behaved better then most other nations in Europe and rescued many Jews: only 25% died. That they accept responsibility for those shows their decency.

This represents the change I mentioned in one of my previous articles on Realizations about Israel. This is very encouraging coming from someone in/from Israel.

Paul Gibbons from Milton Keynes, UK comments:

My Grandfather was locked up by the Germans for over 4 years in WW2. He never asked for or was offered any compensation. His son (my father )who along with the rest of his family never asked for compensation either. Like millions of other non-jews (the majority) they just got on with it.

This is the exact way to honor the suffering of Jews during the Holocaust! Do NOT beg for pity or compensation. Tell the world of the suffering and remember it but do it with honor and with respect to the ones who suffered instead of trying to cash in on the suffering. Cashing it in just cheapens the suffering and it is a disservice to those who truly suffered.

Tom from London, UK comments

..."The existence of laws that punish anyone who disagrees with the official account " when used in any context is truly terrifying and I think what got some European countries into this mess in the first place.

I couldn't agree more! Pete Cottrell from Memphis, USA states:

Reparations, seems the only qualifiers are jews. Many other ethnic groups went through tolls and death. What about them or do they not count. Lets discuss reparations for some other races!

Yasser Hanif from Manchester, UK adds:

Justice has to be equal and balanced. Did Israel pay any compensation to the destruction & cluster bombs in Lebanon? Did Israel pay a penny for the napalm they used in the sixties(not so long ago)? Did Israel pay a nickle to the families of the 400 children they killed in Gaza a month ago? Justice here?

I end the article with the following comment given by Eric from US:

I am an American Jew who has worked hard his whole life...served my nation in the military in Iraq and I agree the time for restitution is over. All who were interned deserved compensation but for descendents it is rediculous. Repayment is done....let the dead rest in peace.

And the comments go on stating argument both; for and against this decision by the French court. I would encourage readers to visit the linked page on Times Online and read the comments for yourself to get all arguments in more detail.